This invention relates to a remote controller, and more particularly to a remote controller operative to transmit two kinds of remote control signals of different formats (system codes) to control various operations, such as, for example, an operation at the time of dubbing using two video tape recorders together.
Hitherto, in the case of, e.g., using two video tape recorders (VTRs) of the same manufacturer to record information signals (video signals and audio signals) of the master tape reproduced by one VTR onto the slave tape by the other VTR, i.e., conducting a so-called dubbing, as a matter of course, one VTR and the other VTR are required to be set in a reproducing mode and in a recording mode, respectively.
VTRs of the same manufacturer are ordinarily designed to be operated by a remote control signal (remote control code) having a common system code.
FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram showing an example of the remote control signal, wherein the remote control signal is in the form of a remote control code consisting of a system code of, e.g., 8 bits a data code of, e.g., 8 bits.
It is now assumed that an attempt is made to conduct an operation for allowing two VTRs to be in respective modes using a remote control transmitter (which will be simply called a remote controller hereinafter) at the time of dubbing. In such a case, since the both VTRs are products of the same manufacturer, so they are operative in accordance with a remote control code having the common system code (a signal of the same format), when a remote control is conducted, two VTRs are inevitably brought into the same mode of functions. This results in difficulty such that it becomes impossible to control at a time two VTRs each for different operation by one remote controller.
It is to be noted that also in the case where two VTRs used at the time of dubbing are not products of the same manufacturer, if they are of the type operative in accordance with a remote control code having the same system code, similar problem would occur.
In view of this, various manufacturers adopt the following technique: On the side of the remote controller, there is provided a changeover switch which enables to transmit selectively one, at a time, of two or more kinds of remote control codes respectively having different system codes (formats) each of the different system codes remote controls corresponding one selected VTR. In order to receive the selected remote control code transmitted by such remote controller, the VTR is provided a changeover switch which enables to receive selectively the two or more kinds of remote control codes one of which is selected for the VTR by the remote controller so that two remote control links are established between one remote controller and two VTRs. Such VTRs have been already commercially available.
When conducting a dubbing operation using two such VTRs, the reproducing side VTR is switched so that it is operative only with a remote control code (code A) having a system code (format) of the kind "A", and the recording side VTR is switched so that it is operative only with a remote code (code B) having a system code (format) of the kind "B" different from "A".
On the other hand, the remote controller is operated to transmit the remote control code (code A) having the system code (format) of the kind "A" to thereby operate the reproducing side VTR so that only this VTR is in the reproducing mode, then the changeover switch of the remote controller is flipped to transmit the remote control code (code B) having the system code (format) of the kind "B" to thereby operate the recording side VTR so that only this VTR is in the recording mode. When this is the case, manipulating the changeover switch on the remote controller for controlling the two VTRs selectively is troublesome, so that an erroneous operation is likely to occur.
Furthermore, as camera integrated VTRs, etc. have become popular, there are increasing instances where dubbing is desired using two VTRs in the ordinary home, and an editing device of a kind is available for the purpose. However, there exists a need to simply conduct a dubbing without using such an editing device for the purpose of deleting unnecessary program portions on a recorded video tape by using two conventionally available VTRs having no changeover switch on the remote controller as mentioned before. If this is the case, it is required to operate, at the time of dubbing, two remote controllers one for the recording side VTR and the other for reproducing side VTR. Thus, the operation becomes complicated and an erroneous manipulation of the two remote controllers is likely to occur, and this takes extra time for dubbing.